POWER PLANT PRESS interview with Miwa and Masa

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nogizaka
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POWER PLANT PRESS interview with Miwa and Masa

Post by nogizaka » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:01 pm

(From October 2005 Issue)

Interviewer: What kind of Summer did you have this year?

Miwa: We only had about four months free this entire year.

Masa: Are you serious?

Mi: As usual, this Summer was spent in the studio.

Ma: I don't remember this Summer.

Mi: I couldn't go to the beach even once.

I: So your best memory about this Summer is the studio.

Mi: The studio and the hot and humid air when we stepped out of the studio at night.

Ma: Summer in New York City.

I: You did the recording of 'Jet!/Sunshine' in NYC?

Mi: Half in Japan, half in NYC.

Ma: Oh yes, we do have a memory of this Summer.

Mi: What was that?

Ma: We learned how to swing on the trapeze.

Mi: Yes, we did that for about two hours.

I: So, there is a place where you can learn the trapeze?

Mi: It's called Hudson River Park. It's in lower Manhattan, and they were offering a trapeze workshop. It was on the hottest day we were in NYC.

Ma: It was hot, and we declare we will use the trapeze in our next tour!

I: (laughs) What made you want to learn the trapeze?

Mi: They have been offering the workshop for the past two years, and they are closed during Winter. We have been saying, "We should try it, we should try it," but we didn't have the opportunity. This time, the day before we began recording, we were able to make a reservation. It is pretty popular, and we did it under the very hot sun.

Ma: (shows a digital camera photo of them on the trapeze)

I: Wow, this is great! (to crew) Don't you think this is great?

Ma: Yes it's great, I should say. (laughs)

Mi: Yes, really without pretense trapeze.

Ma: Don't you think this is great? Look at my form!

I: Wow, you are doing this very seriously.

Ma: Yes, seriously. It's more breathtaking than we thought. (laughs) We are doing this seriously. Look at this one- this is Miwa.

I: Wow, Miwa is upside down. (laughs) It doesn't look like many people tried the trapeze that day.

Mi: No, not so many. It's only for a few hours. Two hours under the hot sun.

I: Did you become addicted to the trapeze?

Ma: No- I had enough.

Mi: Well, it is impossible for people who cannot do push-ups!

Ma: No, no, it's a different kind of strength.

Mi: The timing for the swing is important to float your body. It was fun, though.

Ma: Yes.

Mi: The most fun part of it is throwing yourself from the high platform at the beginning.

Ma: It's quite scary.

Mi: I love it!

I: This Summer, we had 'Live 8', and Miwa, you are still wearing the white band. (On her wrist- you can see it on the recent photos of her.)

Mi: Yes, I have been wearing this since then.

I: So how do you feel about it?

Mi: Well, as for 'Live 8''s objective, our goal was very clear. So if we could express something, it's wonderful, we thought. We were also in 'MTV (Super Dry) Live'. It was a long time since we had been in such an event. After four years, we were very nervous. We were also in 'FM 802 (Rock Kids Special Live Stage)'.

I: So you haven't had time to take a breath. And this fall, you will release three things.

Ma: Yes- 'Kiku-kiku Set' and 'Kiku-miru Set'.

I: Why did you decide to release three at the same time?

Ma: We wanted to have fun and 'Kiku-kiku Set' and 'Kiku-miru Set' have a 'K' sound I don't like. (On a recent 'Dorira' Miwa emphasizes the 'K' sounds to annoy Masa.)

I: (laughs)

Ma: We wanted people who haven't listened to Dorikamu to listen to 'Jet!/Sunshine', and both the 'Kiku-kiku Set' and 'Kiku-miru Set' have a fun present inside, so it's okay.

I: When I interviewed you last time, you were talking about your work which started with 'a', and it became a DVD after all.

Ma: Yes.

Mi: Yes, that 'a' piece.

Ma: It's the 'amoretto' DVD, and it comes with a documentary.

Mi: We received an e-mail recently about the shooting of 'amoretto' in Chiba.

Ma: Oh yes, yes.

Mi: People who were in the movie as extras said they couldn't see 'amoretto' in their area (Because of the limited screening), so they asked us if we could make it into a DVD.

I: So now, all of those people can see it.

Mi: Yes, yes.

Ma: Yes, that's right.

I: I was very surprized this time that the new releases are all very low cost. Is it because you want as many people as possible to listen to them?

Mi: This time we challenged many things. We are in a position to create music, and we want to promote our label, DCT Records. It means that just like we moved from analog to CD years ago, now we have many different ways of listening to music. Musicians have to change with the times. In DCT, as we deliver music, we want to challenge the methods of delivering music, by doing something fun, or doing something no one else has tried. We want to cause some kind of action which motivates people. As people who have careers in music, we want to try many things.

Ma: It's the age of download. So if people buy one single then the other, we will be happy, and at the same time, we think people will be happy with the jacket and the additional present that comes with the CD. So we kept the cost low. For example, even if you buy the 'Kiki-kiku Set' and 'amoretto', the total cost will be almost the same as just buying the 'amoretto' DVD, so probably you may buy them within your allowance. Also, we wanted as many people as possible to listen to 'Winter Song' and watch 'amoretto'. And also, we wanted them to enjoy our new song, so we discussed with our staff how we could keep the cost low.

I: I was very surprized when I saw the price.

Ma: I was surprized, too! (laughs)

I: Miwa said you wanted to challenge many things in the process of delivering your music. Did that feeling come to you recently, or has it always been part of your activity?

Mi: Looking back, I would have to say it's been there since DCT started. It's part of our overall philosophy and especially true when we're playing live. So, it has always been there, but when we began to promote DCT Records, which was one of our goals, things shifted even more in that direction.

Ma: This kind of thing can only be done when you have your own record company.

Mi: Yes, it can be done only by our own record company.

Ma: Of course, we owe this freedom to our major record company, but the final decisions are made by our record company. Everything we do starts from the feeling we want to convey to people.

I: And now, about the new song. First, 'Jet!' is said to be the 2005 version of 'Ureshi! Tanoshi! Daisuki!'.

Mi: Masa says so.

Ma: Yes.

I: (laughs) Is it true that was what you were thinking when you composed the song?

Ma: Yes, I think so. I haven't done that kind of song in many years, and Lotte had the idea for a commercial that Miwa would be with those three wonderful athletes in the scene, and those athletes are practicing for the Olympic Games at that moment. So instead of saying "Do your best", we wanted to express that exciting, thrilling feeling, that 'Jet!' feeling. (laughs)

I: The title 'Jet!' is very appropriate. Did it come naturally to you from the sound?

Mi: One day, all of a sudden- all of a sudden. The lyric was almost done, and I was very satisfied with it. At first, a lyric that was different from 'Jet!' was coming to me, and it was almost done. I was singing along with a cassette tape, then, I thought I heard "Fu, fu, fu, fu, fu, fu, Jet!"

I: And then what? (laughs)

Mi: So I didn't want to rerecord (laughs) but the more I listened to it, the more it sounded like "Fu, fu, fu, fu, fu, fu, Jet!" So I thought, "No, no, no, we need to start it over." (laughs)

Ma: Eighty percent of the work was done, but when Miwa began to hear 'Jet!', she came to tell me about one day before the recording, "I'm afraid we need to change it completely!"

Mi: By chance, by chance.

I: Among all recent singles, this piece is the lightest in rhythm and imagery. How do you want your fans to receive it?

Ma: As it is.

Mi: Something like that.

Ma: As you like it.

Mi: I always think that's it's okay to listen to it in any way. That's okay, even if you don't like it, and if you like it, I'm happy, of course. And I'm pleased if you listen to it in any way, freely.

I: On 'Diamond 15', 'Asahi no Senrei' was born as omaju to 'Kessen wa Kinyoubi', and this time, 'Jet!' is the 2005 version of 'Ureshi! Tanoshi! Daisuki!'. So between the two of you there is a mood to connect the songs of the past with the songs of the present.

Ma: Well, 'Asahi no Senrei' is directly an answer song to 'Kessen wa Kinyoubi'. But as for 'Jet!' and 'Ureshi! Tanoshi! Daisuki!' as sound or...

Mi: Atmosphere.

Ma: Yes, atmosphere.

Mi: The straight atmosphere of that song.

Ma: Yes, yes, yes. Dorikamu Philadelphia. Dorikamu Salsoul. Extension of Dorikamu Salsoul and women's feeling of love. In that sense, I'm using the expression, "2005 version of 'Ureshi! Tanoshi! Daisuki!'".

I: In the song, a bell rings at the part about bicycles.

Mi: Yes, yes, yes.

Ma: Those bells- we bought seven of them.

Mi: The one you hear was the winner of the audition.

Ma: That one had the best sound, and Miwa rung it.

I: What decided the winner?

Mi: The sound- there are many different sounds- some are "kanng".

Ma: "Pi-ping" and "karrang".

Mi: Even for "ring", there are low "ring" to high "ring", so we auditioned all of them.

I: So, you took the most old-fashioned one.

Mi: Yes, the most comprehensive one.

Ma: We didn't know that we could find something like that in NYC.

I: Then what is your strongest memory about this song, about recording and production?

Mi: We recorded the vocal of this song at the studio in NYC, but, these days, studios in NYC are problematic about their equipment.

Ma: There is so much mechanical trouble.

Mi: There are so many troubles at the beginning. For half a day, our recording was stopped.

Ma: The monitor was not working.

Mi: Yes, and there was also noise all the time- I remember that.

I: How about you, Masa?

Ma: Well, my bass sounded great.

Mi: (laughs)

Ma: I'm serious.

Mi: Yeah, that's good. (laughs)

Ma: And, for the first time in a long while, we got to record with Japanese musicians, so it was a lot of fun.

I: Then next: 'Sunshine' is Reggaton.

Ma: Yes- quasi-Reggaton. (laughs)

I: How did you come up with the idea of making it Reggaton?

Mi: We love Reggaton, don't we?

Ma: Miwa loves it.

Mi: Masa loves it too. (points at Masa) He is addicted to it, just like he was with Soul music in the Seventies- he is listening to it a lot.

Ma: Well, it's rather like I have to listen to it.

I: That's how it is in NYC?

Ma: Yes.

Mi: That's true. Like when we go to the studio in the car, we hear Reggaton everywhere while we are waiting for the traffic signal. It's overwhelming in NYC.

I: Has it been like this since last Summer in NYC?

Mi: Since last Summer.

Ma: That was when it broke, but it has been going on there for the last ten years.

Mi: About ten or fifteen years ago.

I: It's called 'Chicano hip-hop'.

Mi: Yes, yes, yes.

Ma: Yes- we wanted to make 'Sunshine' something powerful. It is a song from Fall to Winter, and not something quiet. We wanted to make it Reggaton in Winter, which fits the City, so I wanted to use Reggaton.

I: I think there has not been any other Japanese musician who has approached Reggaton like this and used it for their work.

Ma: No, no, no- I think there are many people running dance halls or clubs who are using it. Reggae and Reggaton are fundamentally different. Reggae is Reggae and Reggaton is going toward Hip-hop. Reggaton is influenced by Salsa, dance hall music, and Hip-hop. When I think about it, Reggaton came on all of a sudden.

I: So you both decided on it?

Ma: That's because I insisted. Reggaton, Reggaton, Reggaton!

I: Wasn't it difficult to mix music from a different background with DCT's sound?

Ma: Well, we are fundamentally like that. Just like Soul music and the Beatles, Rock and Folk music have influenced American culture. This time, it's Reggaton coming to NYC in the flow of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Mi: We were praised very much by a rapper from the Dominican Republic. He said, "It's seriously cool truck", didn't he, Masa?

Ma: By chance, we had a Reggaton artist on our staff.

Mi: He is also a rapper.

I: So it's a sure thing.

Ma: We are very happy.

I: So it became a lyric of starting over after a break-up. Is it because it is linked with the energy of Reggaton?

Mi: In the beginning, there was the original theme- 'Sunshine'. But what I wrote is something familiar.

Ma: The everyday thing.

Mi: Yes- everyday scenery. It became like this.

I: Then, 'Winter Song'. This is the arrangement you used in the live show. Why did you pick this song for 'coupling'?

Mi: We tried it in concert, and we got a big response from the audience. Then we got mail saying "Please make it into a CD". Also, it was the right season for it.

Ma: Yes, it was a good season for it.

Mi: When we are feeling that we want to try something different, and such a thing comes along, we thought it would make a very nice bonus.

Ma: The bonus of satisfaction.

Mi: An increased bonus.

Ma: Increased Dorikamu quality. (laughs)

I: Which came first, the concert performance, or the arrangement?

Mi: The performance, which turned out very well.

Ma: The arrangement was not done by me. This was the first time we made a CD with a different arranger.

Mi: There was a basic arrangement, and the band developed that arrangement further.

I: Masa, how do you feel that something somebody else arranged gets such a high evaluation?

Ma: I was so disappointed- not true, not true! (laughs)

Mi: (laughs)

Ma: How should I express it? It would be very difficult for someone else to arrange something I arranged for a live show, so I'm looking at it objectively.

Mi: In the last concert tour, we had so many songs, we needed to divide them to make them fit the timetable we had on stage. That was a partial reason, but the live arrangement was also good.

Ma: Yes, yes.

I: The original song was complete in itself; weren't you afraid of changing it?

Ma: Yes, I was afraid.

Mi: I don't believe it! (laughs)

Ma: It's true- I hate remixes.

Mi: But you've done it!

Ma: Long time ago. Before that. In summary, for Classical, Pops, and Soul music, only one arrangement is possible per song.

Mi: You are so stubborn!

Ma: It's not true! It's really true that, in that way, a song is a song, so I tend to resist rearrangement. Remixing has become very common, and we are in an age where we make songs by Hip-hop or sampling. Through my work with Naomi Yoshimura, that kind of resistance was removed from me. It has been ten years since I composed 'Winter Song', so I can look at myself objectively.

Mi: (suddenly) It has been fifteen years or so, no?

Staff: 'Yuki no Christmas' was released in 1990.

Mi: Waaah! I didn't realize it had been such a long time. Well, it has been seventeen years since Dorikamu has had its' debut.

Ma: So it was good timing. It was the first time to have someone else do an arrangement. So it was our first time to play a piece arranged by someone else in a live show, but it was very good! I enjoyed playing it.

I: Miwa, how did you feel about putting lyrics on this arrangement?

Mi: Well, I've sung it many times live.

Ma: But it's not exactly the same as a live version.

Mi: Yes. We wanted to emphasize Dorikamu's unique technics, so we made it this way.

Ma: So please don't think: "I have the DVD, so I don't need the CD". (laughs)

Mi: We thought about it, where we should make it unique, how we should enjoy it.

Ma: So people who choose 'Kiku-kiku Set' will be satisfied.

I: Then, for POWER PLANT members who need to buy everything...?

Ma: For PP members 'Kiku-kiku Set' is impossible. (laughs) Even for the live DVD they had no choice but the limited deluxe edition. So this time, 'Kiku-kiku Set' is for people who want to have the jacket. But PP members have no choice but 'Kiku-miru Set' and 'amoretto' special edition. It has been decided that way. (laughs) For people who want to have the jacket or want to buy everything, 'Kiku-miru Set' is recommended, and will make a good present, too. For your friend whom you want to listen to Dorikamu, buy 'Kiku-miru Set'. You can give a wonderful Christmas present for 1,250 Yen.

I: (laughs) Then, let me know about that unique technic you used on the CD.

Mi: There are eight measures before the second verse which are not in the original.

Ma: Before the second verse.

Mi: Eight measures before the second verse. That's my Winter world- that's what we arranged.

Ma: And yes, of course, it's longer than the original version. The live version is called 'One-half', meaning the first verse and the last part of the second verse. So the CD version is full length. Between the two versions, the latter has the M.C. and reminds us of the live show.

Mi: Yes, yes. Marcellus.

Ma: Yes, that feeling as if we were at the concert. And Ed Tuton's more powerful mixing. So it's rather for parties- good for home parties. We want you to dance- today is somebodies' birthday.

I: There will be Christmas parties too.

Ma: Yes, yes. But 'Yuki no Christmas' is a Christmas song, while 'Winter Song' is an all-Winter song- all-Winter, okay?

I: Next, 'amoretto' special collector's version DVD. I heard it will come with a documentary. So what kind of documentary is it?

Mi: We made it so you may watch it very quickly. It hasn't been completely done, but it's on the way.

Ma: You will learn about the background. For example, what kind of emotion we put into the opening. And how the handmade guitar mascot Miwa made was born. Or the film director's obsession. And what did the dolls in the opening scene mean. Everything is shown here.

Mi: Yes, yes, yes.

Ma: A lot of hidden parts of 'amoretto'.

I: If we don't watch that documentary, can we still understand the film?

Mi: You will have a better understanding if you know the background, I'm sure.

Ma: The story itself is simple and clear, but there is also how we shot the film. The interview shows it in a very comprehensive way.

Mi: Yes, yes.

I: I had and interview with you right after you finished shooting 'amoretto'. Time has passed, and now, objectively, what do you think Dorikamu has gained by having acting experience and making a music film?

Ma: Spirit and endurance.

Mi: Yes.

Ma: I thought I had guts.

Mi: Endless challenge. To the limit.

Ma: (laughs) Yes, yes, it is true! After that shooting, I became able to take any hard schedule. If I could sleep two hours, that was wonderful.

Mi: Yes, yes.

Ma: Miwa sings, so sleep is important. She became a pumpkin after midnight years ago. But that person didn't sleep for two weeks. We don't see that on screen, though. That's great.

Mi: (laughs) I developed guts and endurance.

I: What do you think about the variety of expression? You've already expressed one hundred percent of your power in the field of music. But you experienced another form of expression.

Mi: It was a very special experience. It came and went like a storm.

Ma: With a typhoon.

Mi: Yes. It has been one year, but I still haven't completely recognized it as something I truly did. It is located in a very special place, and I cannot approach it in my everyday life as a singer. I still cannot approach it. It was such a vivid experience. Everything was.

I: In music, have you experienced that expression "doesn't approach me"?

Mi: No. When you say that to me, everything, including live performance and recording, I could approach them, and they could approach me too. Yes, it's mysterious. Something may happen because of it, but what, I don't know.

Ma: I also talked about this in the DVD interview, but I felt I received an unexpected present of adolescence. I didn't expect that I could experience adolescence again when I am over forty. But it was like my adolescence. Something I experienced in middle school and high school.

Mi: (surprized) Did you say that, Masa? Great- Masa and me are synchronized. But if you write this...

Ma: What do you mean, "If you write this"? (laughs) Please, just hint about this.

I: (actually Miwa talked here about things she mentioned in the 'amoretto' documentary, so look forward to it!) Heee!

Ma: Yes, it was adolescence for me too.

Mi: It's mysterious.

Ma: So I told the staff that I'm envious because they can experience adolescence every time they shoot a movie. So, it's like club activities and enthusiasm and helping each other. It shows our personalities, including things we don't want to show in public.

I: But when we are looking from the third person's standpoint, the musician's activity is adolescence, and early impulse.

Ma: Music is done by very few people- very few people are involved in the process.

Mi: So therefor, we resolve a certain amount of the process ourselves.

Ma: Yes, yes, yes.

Mi: We are the people who create the music of our band, we balance it and complete it ourselves. We don't deliver music to our audiences incomplete. Therefore, we bring it to a certain level, finish it, and give it to the world. So, it's an entirely individual activity. It goes out to the world from hand to hand- that's the process.

Ma: So the difference is the number of people involved.

Mi: Yes, the number of people. Movies are made by many people struggling scene by scene- it is a battle. That's the big difference in approach.

I: So this was a new experience you had in your sixteenth year.

Ma: Yes it was, and I was pleased. Apart from my own acting, if I can experience it again, I want to make a movie again. It was truly fun and pain. It's adolescence. They are all professionals, but it's still not easy- it's adolescence.

I: I see. Now, I want to ask you a question about your future plans. Three packages will be released in November. Do you already have plans for what comes next?

Ma: Well definitely we will release an album.

Mi: But not within this year.

Ma: We cannot make it within this year, but we want to release one.

Mi: We are working on a very tight schedule, so I believe we can't do it within this year. (laughs)

I: Oh, you are doing it on a tight schedule?

Mi: Yes.

Ma: Yes, Miwa is doing it.

Mi: Tight schedule.

I: So it is as Dorikamu?

Mi: Yes.

I: The other day, when I had an interview with Masa, you told me that you wanted to make more and more songs after 'Nando demo'. So is 'Jet!/Sunshine' an extension of 'Nando demo'?

Ma: Well, I feel like I am working on a double CD.

Mi: 'Nando demo' has already experienced a tour. So as far as we are concerned, it has already had exposure, so if we include it on the next album, it will be a veteran. So now, with 'Jet!/Sunshine' as a leader, we want the newcomers to do a good job. So now, we are discovering newcomers, educating them.

Ma: We are raising them.

Mi: Yes, we are raising them.

I: So now, you are waiting for them to "come down".

Mi: Many of them have been coming already, so now I'm working on combining them. After that, I will arrange them with Masa. That's the most challenging part.

Ma: It takes a long time.

Mi: So now, we are going into the time-consuming part. The nest album will be our thirteenth album. Good number- we want to release it on Friday. (laughs)

I: (laughs) How about the jacket?

Ma: With Jason.

Mi: We should involve Jason.

Ma: We will wear Jason's masks.

I: By the way, how is 'What Mee Mee Wants' going?

Mi: Little by little, thanks to you all, I'm doing it. (laughs) But I'm only making it little by little, so...

Ma: She is giving her customers a hard time.

Mi: I consider it a long-term business. So please be with me on a long-term basis.

I: Then finally, your message to your fans about 'Kiku-kiku Set'.

Mi: 'Kiku-kiku Set' has 'Winter Song' as a bonus, and the 'Dancing Snowflakes Version' is a neat version, so I believe you will enjoy it.

I: Then next, 'Kiku-miru Set'.

Ma: This will be good to enjoy as a doorway to Dorikamu for people who haven't seen a live show or listened to our music. 'amoretto' is an adults-adolescents movie and a good movie. Atsushi Ito (Who played 'a''s manager), who is in 'Train Man' (TV series) right now, also went to the same high school as I did, but years later. Mr. Higo of 'Dacho Club' (Comedy act) is playing the role of me (In a brief, but clever interlude, Miwa and Masa as 'amoretto' are watching Higo playing Masa on TV, and saying, "Without them, we would be out of a job."), so I want them both to start with 'Kiku-miru Set' as a Dorikamu beginners' version.

I: Next, 'amoretto' DVD.

Mi: Well, after the release of the movie, we received a lot of letters saying "We want to see it". Now the time has come when you may see it on DVD, so rewind as often as you want and check out the acting of Yassou Yasuda. So find out who Yassou Yasuda is.

Ma: He is a good guy. Different from me.

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nogizaka
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The Rest of the Interview...

Post by nogizaka » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:41 pm

Mi: I want you to watch his every behavior, his personality and character.

Ma: Especially for people who came to the live shows- 250,000 came, and saw the 'amoretto' scene. So they may wonder what is the overall movie. So, you can watch all of it. In addition, it is a safe, pure romance you can watch as lovers or family. Well, romance movie.

Mi: Well, PG-rated.

Ma: It's all-audience recommended. No love scenes, no violent language.

Mi: No violent language? Well, how about Yassou's "Nyah, nyah"? That laugh. That part is a bit much.

Ma: Nyah, nyah, nyah- that is a licensed sound. (laughs) But it is a truly safe and touching movie. So please watch it.

Mi: It's very suitable for this season from this point on.

Ma: Yes, very suitable.

Mi: You can spend a very nice autumn night- good with drinking wine.

Ma: Wine of Ikeda City.

Mi: Yes. Between girlfriends or lovers.

Ma: Or by yourself.

I: Now please give your deep message about 'Jet!/Sunshine' to POWER PLANT members.

Mi: About the song- the trapeze was great.

Ma: So the experience of the trapeze became 'Jet!'.

Mi: I told you it didn't! (laughs) I made that song before we learned trapeze.

Ma: (laughs) And the heat created 'Sunshine'. We learned trapeze on the hottest day in NYC.

Mi: An historically hot day.

Ma: The instructors were all complaining.

Mi: (laughs) They hated it.

Ma: They said "Why do you want to do trapeze on a day like this?"

Mi: They hated it and I felt very sad about it.

Ma: I felt sad. Miwa and I were the worst students in the group. I imagine there will be people who will like 'Sunshine' and who will dislike it.

Mi: But if you are an old Dorikamu fan you know that we have had songs with a strong beat since our debut, and we always try to bring in new things. So, I believe that they will enjoy it and say "Well it has been awhile, but it is a good one."

Ma: It will be okay for people who liked '24/7' and people who liked 'Dou Yatte Wasureyou'.

I: Then it means the adventure of beat is always somewhere close to Dorikamu's music, following in its' footprints.

Mi: Yes, yes, that's it.

Ma: Yes, it is.

Mi: Because there is much nice music in this world.

Ma: We want to introduce them.

I: We are looking forward to your future activities.

Mi: Now we are working on the next album with a very hard schedule. I confess to POWER PLANT members because my relationship with them is deep. It has veterans like 'Nando demo' and it has 'Jet!/Sunshine', but it still has a long way to go before completion. (laughs) So listen to these songs first, and imagine whaat kind of album the next one will be. Have deep thoughts about it while memorizing the songs. I will keep running until the album is complete. Masa sometimes whines, but leave it to me.

Ma: What do you mean by that? (laughs) I'm about to give up. We may do a new cover of 'Beautiful Boy'.

Mi: The John Lennon song.

Ma: We rerecorded and remixed it. It will become our next song. It will be released before the album. (laughs)

(This is ancient history by now, but I think it still has a few interesting parts. I have learned some things that should improve the speed of our next translation/transcription/posting, which is good, because Issue #51 is on the way! Happy New Year!)

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Post by Jei » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:45 pm

Thanks nogi for the translation!

Dorikamu and Philly Soul...sounds just about right :)

Wouldn't have expected Jet! and U!T!D! to be connected...^^
-Jay
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nogizaka
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Post by nogizaka » Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:52 pm

Jei, I kind of wondered myself about the connection between 'Jet!' and 'U!T!D!', so I asked my wife what she thought. She says she thinks both songs are about the thrill Miwa gets when falling in love with someone. I thought that made sense. People's lives change a lot over time, but even after years, love can still give us "that 'Jet!' feeling". Perhaps Miwa and Masa want to remind us of that, and hence, the connection.

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nogizaka
DCTJoy Wonderlander
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 8:58 pm
Location: Williamsburg, VA

Post by nogizaka » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:16 pm

Something else- in the interview Miwa and Masa mention their next album will be their thirteenth. As I count, it should be their fourteenth, unless they are not counting 'Love Overflows', which has no Japanese version and only a few new original songs, the others of course being English versions of earlier songs. Perhaps they are thinking, ' their thirteenth Japanese album'. Interesting...

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